Working Families and Growing Kids Caring for Children and Adolescents (2003) / Chapter Skim
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6. Parental Empolyment and Adolescent Development
6. Parental Empolyment and Adolescent Development
Pages 178-198
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From page 178... ...
Also included is an overview of developmental tasks during adolescence in order to highlight the unique needs of this group of teens. DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS DURING ADOLESCENCE Modern developmental theories underscore the holistic nature of the developmental process (e.g., Bronfenbrenner and Morris, 1998; Cairns, 1979; Magnusson and Stattin, 1998)
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From page 179... ...
. During middle childhood, salient developmental tasks include forming a positive orientation toward school and achievement, developing and maintaining conventional relationships with peers and adults outside the family, and acquiring appropriate value systems about rules and conduct across different contexts (Masten and Coatsworth, 1998)
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From page 180... ...
Rates of substance use remain a concern as well. Among high school seniors surveyed nationally about substance use during the past 30 days, approximately 30 percent report smoking cigarettes, 33 percent report drinking alcohol to the point of intoxication, and 26 percent used illicit substances (Johnston et al., 2002)
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From page 181... ...
There are three main ways by which parental employment may influence adolescent adjustment: (1) parental supervision, child care arrangements, and responsibilities while parents are working; (2)
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From page 182... ...
Self-care is less common among families below or near the poverty line, and it becomes more common as hours of parental employment increase. Historically, self-care has become more prevalent in recent decades owing to a variety of possible factors, including increases in employment for singleparent and dual-earner families, dispersion of extended families, and lack of after-school programs serving children over the age of 12 (Stewart, 2001)
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From page 183... ...
. To be sure, sibling care is valuable when family care arrangements are considered in an ecological context.
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From page 184... ...
Available research has not always been clear on whether a parent is working during out-of-home self-care, or whether this difference significantly moderates the association with adolescent adjustment. Nonetheless, research across the disciplines of psychology, criminology, leisure studies, education, and anthropology report associations be
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From page 185... ...
. Poor parental monitoring has been linked to a variety of negative behaviors and outcomes for young persons, including antisocial behavior and crime; use of tobacco, alcohol, and other illicit substances; poor school performance; and early sexual activity.
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From page 186... ...
are working. The association between involvement in two prevalent supervised settings during the after-school hours -- structured enrichment activities and paid employment -- is considered in relation to parental employment and the salient developmental tasks of adolescence.
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From page 187... ...
The Quantum Opportunities Program evaluation used a random selection and random assignment design involving 50 8th grade stu 3The NASF estimates are somewhat higher than percentages reported from the SIPP data. The difference is probably due to the fact that NASF estimates of participation in enrichment activities are reported over the last year, while SIPP estimates are based on current participation at the time of survey.
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From page 188... ...
As proposed, the act would authorize $5.75 billion over five years to provide enrichment opportunities for young persons ages 10 to 19 in the form of state block grants, with special attention given to low-income families. Enrichment activities that could be supported include those fostering positive relationships with adults, structured after-school activities, those that promote job-related training and competence, and community and service learning activities.
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From page 189... ...
find that enrichment activities offer a balance between challenge and enjoyment and promote "initiative skills," such as learning to set goals, managing time, and regulating emotions. Such skills may ultimately promote an appreciation for work and prepare young persons for the transition to adulthood (Csikszentmihalyi and Schneider, 2000; Mahoney, 2002)
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From page 190... ...
First, like after-school enrichment activities, participation in the job force is an increasingly common activity in the after-school hours and during the summer while many parents are working. Second, parental employment, education, and income are positively associated with adolescent employment rates.
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From page 191... ...
Because ethnicity, family income, and maternal education are nested factors, it is difficult to sort out the individual contributions of these aspects to adolescent employment.
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From page 192... ...
The discussion below focuses on three major areas of adjustment studied in relation to adolescent employment: social behaviors and relationships; school engagement and related outcomes; and future employment, education, and earnings. Social Behaviors and Relationships.
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From page 193... ...
For example, an increase in work hours is related to fewer hours spent watching television (Schoenhals et al., 1998) , and moderately intense employment is associated with homework completion, school achievement, and low rates of truancy (Lerman, 2000; Stone and Mortimer, 1998)
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From page 194... ...
Future Employment, Education, and Earnings. In contrast to the possible negative associations between intensive employment during adolescence and secondary school adjustment, a long-term perspective shows that employment during high school is positively associated with future employment, earnings and benefits, and occupational status in the decade following high school graduation (e.g., Ruhm, 1997; Chaplin and Hannaway, 1996; Carr et al., 1996; Wright and Carr, 1995)
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From page 195... ...
. Parental Employment, Parent-Adolescent Relationships, and Adjustment Research on the link between parental employment, parent-adolescent relationships, and adolescent adjustment reveals a complex pattern of associations that varies according to family income level, economic strain, the features of employment, and the adolescent's gender (Crouter et al., 1990; Galambos and Sears, 1998)
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From page 196... ...
One area of adolescent adjustment that may be influenced by maternal employment is school achievement. The association varies by both income level and gender (e.g., Bogenschneider and Steinberg, 1994; Conger et al., 1994)
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From page 197... ...
Available research on adolescent engagement in structured enrichment activities suggests that beneficial programs offer opportunities to develop positive relationships with peers and adults, a sense of belonging and connectedness to conventional values, and the opportunity to develop valued skills. Young persons who are able to engage in structured, supervised, and skill-focused activities show more favorable outcomes than their unengaged counterparts.
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From page 198... ...
However, the magnitude and direction of association differs by gender and family income level and is likely to vary according to levels of parent supervision and the adolescents' after-school activities and social relationships.
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